Parliamentarians praise cutting diplomatic ties with Qatar

CAIRO - 5 June 2017: Parliamentarians praise decision taken by Egypt early on Monday to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, viewing it as a deterrent response against terrorism.
Saudi, UAE, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen also announced on Monday cutting ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding and supporting terror organizations.

Egypt Today spoke to parliamentarians regarding their view over the decision and what should be done further with Qatar. Parliamentarians viewed the decision as a strong response to practices of Qatar to support terrorism in Arab countries and suggested international unity to counter it.

Tarek el-Khouly, member in the committee of foreign affairs, commented to Egypt Today on that decision saying that Egypt has previously warned against the seriousness of Qatar practices in the region and actions taken towards these practices were weak.

However, “Today there is a full understanding in the region especially by the gulf for the warnings of Egypt,” Khouly noted.

He also demanded taking additional measures to stop Qatar practices, freeze its membership in the Arab League.

The head of culture and media committee, Osama Heikel, commented that Egypt never tends in its foreign policy to sever ties with countries, but with Qatar the situation was different, due to the role it took in supporting terrorism.

Regarding media role in Qatar, Heikel continued that Al-Jazeera channel was the main representative for Qatar’s practices, for being managed by intelligence agencies and had a role in inciting against Egyptian policy and supporting terrorists.

Moreover, Sahr Sedky member in the Arab Affairs Committee said that decision of cutting off ties with Qatar is a “fatal blow for terrorism” and was taken in the right time.

“The Arab countries have given Qatar many opportunities, but it insisted on taking anti-Egyptian course, pointing out that every day the influence of terrorism is increasing in the Arab region and the world, and it is necessary to boycott those who are supporting it,” she continued.

Kamal Amer, the head of defense and national security member, said that Egyptian Parliament will coordinate with Arab, African and international Parliaments, to discuss the issue of financing and supporting terrorism, as a way to confront Qatar covering for terror organizations.

Amer also referred to President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s statement about the necessity of searching for sources that fund terror organizations and supplying them with weapons.

Egyptian-Qatari relations witnessed severe tensions over the past recent years, due to Qatar’s support for outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group in Egypt that was labeled by the government as a terrorist organization in 2013.